Hi everyone we are hopefully getting our first cavalier puppy this year so we are doing as much research as we can. I was just wondering if cavaliers are hard puppys...are they hyper? are they very distructive? my friend has a shis tzu pup that is very calm and quiet and laid my brother in law has a pug 9 months old and its super hyper the most hyper pup ive ever seen. I was just wondering what cavs are like as we have children to so dont want a dog thats to hyper. we choose a cav as they are said to be laid back? thanks for any advise :)

11th January 2013, 04:26 PM

Karlin

All puppies are pretty hyper, by any measure -- it would be unusual to have one that is quiet and laid back (if too quiet, I'd worry about a hidden health issue or temperament issue -- eg too shy). A cavalier is often a more laid back ADULT breed than some others but not any more so I would say than those other breeds. And a puppy is never going to be laid back especially once they hit about 4 months and they will be go-go-go-go-go and also chewing everything they can get hold of and into everything. All puppies also go through a people nipping phase that can hurst children and needs to be positively but immediately managed to train for a 'soft mouth' (all in Ian Dunbar, below).

If you want a quieter puppy -- ask the breeder to recommend the one to select, don't take 'the one that comes to you' as it will be the most outgoing in the litter. But this is a terribly tricky area as a quieter puppy could be deeply unhappy and overwhelmed in a noisy bustling family atmosphere.

I generally do not recommend families with children under 7 to go for a puppy -- but instead aim for an older dog, at least 6-9 months but a year or two old and known to be good with children is much better and a thousand times easier. A lot that is damaging to children and to puppies can happen in that first year and puppy cuteness soon is gone making getting a puppy a pretty ephemeral thing. I also always warn that adding a puppy is going to be the same work as adding a toddler to a family -- it will require a tremendous amount of time and work that cannot be ignored -- or the results are generally poorly behaved adults (this is likely the case with the very hyper pug puppy). Families -- and most owners in my experience! -- greatly underestimate how much work and how great a time commitment a puppy is.

In general: Much depends on the individual dog -- just like children. :) All personalities vary. Then much -- MORE!!! -- depends on the family, how controlled the interactions are with children, and how much time the family puts into proper, rewards-based training (eg never punishing a dog but instead working to positively train towards what you want in an adult).

If you are sure you want a puppy: then be sure to read Before You Get Your Puppy right away, a free download from internationally known trainer Dr Ian Dunbar.

At the same link you can download for free, his After You Get Your Puppy.

Both of these books will prevent a lifetime of problems and also help you decide if a puppy is the right thing for you and your family. :)

I also have a link to a good collection of links on managing dogs and children, pinned to the top of the training section. That's another must-read. :)

11th January 2013, 06:44 PM

Emkaybee

As Karlin said, all puppies are fairly hyper for a good amount of time. They are mouthy, and chase around, and play a lot. Once they have matured, CKCS are generally pretty easy going--that's the temperament that is described for the breed. But there are poorly bred dogs that have bad temperaments.

If you REALLY want a puppy, I think the best idea for your family would be to find a really good breeder (see the information on this site for how to go about that), describe your family to the breeder and what you're hoping for, and let the breeder choose which puppy you get. However, there are rescue societies for CKCS and it is possible to get a grown dog, in which case you would know the temperament, etc., before making your choice.

Good luck! IMO, you can't really go wrong with a Cav as a dog for a family with children. The biggest challenge is protecting the dog from the children!